Check Amazon.com for "low D whistle" and search for Doug Tipple's PVC flute site.
You can find a cane, low D whistle for a few dollars on Amazon. Mine has given me good service for years. It's not very loud, but I bought it as an instrument to learn to play while wondering if I could bridge the gap between the holes with my fingers and develop the relevant "piper's grip" technique".
I made a PVC flute. You can too if you have a source of schedule 40 PVC, an electric drill, and the right diameter drill bits. It doesn't take long to get it to the point that it's playable (essentially as soon as the seven holes are clean and without burrs) Finishing time relative to appearance depends on your standards.
I'd suggest that you buy an inexpensive cane whistle to learn to play, and design your own PVC flute using instructions at Doug Tipple's site, then build it. The whistle shouldn't cost more than around $20.00 with shipping. The flute materials will be only few dollars, but the need for a few large diameter drill bits and some clamps to keep it still while you drill the holes will cost in the $20.00 to $30.00 range.
Alternately, get the cane whistle from Amazon and one of Doug Tipple's PVC flutes. Net cost: less than $100.00.
In a few years, when you've developed a basic technique on them both, you can re-evaluate whether you need instruments with different tonal qualities. (It's too easy to make an impulse purchase that wind's up in the closet along with the related investment.)
The flute will take a while to master. Embouchure is said to be an art. It's a matter of adjusting to your flute's embouchure hole over time after you can get a sound out of it. It will take time, but, perhaps, not as much as some claim, to get a reasonable tone out of the flute. Getting a good, consistent tone... That will take time.
Use the spare money to get some of Matt Malloy's recordings to use as inspiration...and a metronome.
I like them both. You really should try both if it's at all possible.
The whistle will be easier to get a sound on, but some people on this site have found the hole spacing to be a challenge (yet with a bit of practice, it should not be a problem)
The whistle will be less expensive than the flute
The whistle may tip your pint over while playing, and the flute may bang into your mates on your right
Both will roll off the table if you are not careful, and both will fit under your arm as you head off to the gent's
They are both wonderful instruments, and have their own characteristics which you can only learn my playing them.
I think that you should listen to lots of recordings of both instruments and make your decision based on which sound you crave more, not based on other people's opinions. But that's just my opinion...
Forgot to add that Doug Tipple's flutes are a very good entry level flute if you can't afford a better instrument.
If you go for flute, do you love wood (and are you willing to care for it)? Wooden flutes require oiling and you have to break them in slowly. Doug's PVC, or M&E, Seery, etc. are polymer and require no real care (no more than a metal whistle). There are plenty of good wood and polymer flutes in the $500 range (Seery, M&E, slideless Casey Burns, etc.) - these flutes while more expensive can make you happy for life with no need to upgrade.
Unless you know a good source of in-tune cane whistles, I'd opt for a low whistle made of metal or polymer.
A low whistle cannot hold a candle to a flute. Flute leaves it standing.
Personally I prefer standard pitched whislets to low whistles also. Mots times the main advantage I see for low whistle is for a different voice when there are other high whistles present, or for non-flute players to take a break from e.g. the pipes.
Flute leaves low whistle dead in the water all other things being equal.
The biggest question is this: have you played either of them? If not, you should go for the low whistle as it is easier to sound good on (or even MAKE a sound on) than the flute. If you ARE a flute player, there is no question - get the flute! Much more versatile and has nuances of expression you can't get on a whistle. OTOH, the low whistle is a beautiful instrument in its own right. I have both and hardly ever play the whistle...
If you're comparing a Low D whistle to a D Irish flute, be aware that the finger-stretch is wider on the whistle.
The flute's conical bore allows the lower-hand fingerholes to be placed closer together.
The finger stretch on Low D's takes some getting used to, and some people don't like it. Some give up trying to learn Low D for that reason.
Beware of Low D's that have the fingerholes moved closer together, because doing this makes the notes more feeble.
The actual tone/timbre of a Low D whistle such as my aluminum "Pro Viper" by Michael Burke is very much like that of an Irish flute.
Since the tone on the flute is made by a human embouchure which can be varied by the player, the flute's tone/timbre and volume can be varied tremendously. A flute is an amazingly flexible instrument. You can play the lowest notes big and booming or play the highest notes as soft as a whisper.
Whistles have a fixed embouchure. Blowing too hard or too soft simply makes the notes out of tune. Each note is in tune at one exact blowing pressure, so if you want to play in tune you are very limited as to what you can do with the airstream.
Whistle's fipple represents the best compromise the maker can create, and in all Low D's I've ever tried the lowest notes are softer that I would like and the highest notes are louder than I would like.
The Low D whistle has only two advantages I can think of:
1) price. You can get a fantastic-playing Low D for under $300.
2) you don't have to learn how to do the flute embouchure.
I play both. But with the whistle the fingering can cause some people problems, personally, I'm double jointed so never had any problems. As for the flute, I've never had a problem with that either. So I'm not really the person to talk about the problems you may have starting as I don't seem to have experienced any.
But I would suggest that you listen to as many recordings of both instruments as you can possibly and really decide on which sound you would really like to produce and having made that decision, buy the best instrument you can afford.
I would never go for polimer instruments, I personally dont like the sound. I would also try to listen to as many different types of woods as possible as each wood will produce a different sound and some woods will cost more than others.
Similarly, metals will prodouce different sounds and affect the price.
I was very happy with my first low whistle until I heard a beautiful wooden one which I saved up for and eventually I had one made for me so be careful of instrument envy
Flute is great but you _will_ take longer to start making acceptable sounds on it than on the low whistle. However, being musical on the low whistle is almost harder than on the flute because your technical possibilites are limited.
Flutes tend to be a bit more expensive than whistles. I recommend the Casey Burns folk flute (I do own one of the two part ones in Mopane and still play it as my camp-fire flute) as being excellent value for the money. There are however a number of other excellent options out there as a search of this forum, or Chiff and Fipple will show.
With flutes, the instrument makes a difference in the sound quality, but 90% of the sound comes from the player, so player X sounds like player X, whatever they are playing so long as it is a good quality instrument in a good state of repair.
Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Hello i have decided to buy a new instrument and i can not decide which to buy a low flute or a low whistle and i can realy aford only one of them
So i wish to hear your opinions on the sound of the both i know that flute is kind of a more difficult to play ...
Please write as much as you can beacuse im going to decide regarding what people are going to write
Thanks up front and pardon my english
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by aljazh
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
You can really only afford one?
Hmmm....
Check Amazon.com for "low D whistle" and search for Doug Tipple's PVC flute site.
You can find a cane, low D whistle for a few dollars on Amazon. Mine has given me good service for years. It's not very loud, but I bought it as an instrument to learn to play while wondering if I could bridge the gap between the holes with my fingers and develop the relevant "piper's grip" technique".
I made a PVC flute. You can too if you have a source of schedule 40 PVC, an electric drill, and the right diameter drill bits. It doesn't take long to get it to the point that it's playable (essentially as soon as the seven holes are clean and without burrs) Finishing time relative to appearance depends on your standards.
I'd suggest that you buy an inexpensive cane whistle to learn to play, and design your own PVC flute using instructions at Doug Tipple's site, then build it. The whistle shouldn't cost more than around $20.00 with shipping. The flute materials will be only few dollars, but the need for a few large diameter drill bits and some clamps to keep it still while you drill the holes will cost in the $20.00 to $30.00 range.
Alternately, get the cane whistle from Amazon and one of Doug Tipple's PVC flutes. Net cost: less than $100.00.
In a few years, when you've developed a basic technique on them both, you can re-evaluate whether you need instruments with different tonal qualities. (It's too easy to make an impulse purchase that wind's up in the closet along with the related investment.)
The flute will take a while to master. Embouchure is said to be an art. It's a matter of adjusting to your flute's embouchure hole over time after you can get a sound out of it. It will take time, but, perhaps, not as much as some claim, to get a reasonable tone out of the flute. Getting a good, consistent tone... That will take time.
Use the spare money to get some of Matt Malloy's recordings to use as inspiration...and a metronome.
Good luck!
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Arthur Nordstrom
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
I like them both. You really should try both if it's at all possible.
The whistle will be easier to get a sound on, but some people on this site have found the hole spacing to be a challenge (yet with a bit of practice, it should not be a problem)
The whistle will be less expensive than the flute
The whistle may tip your pint over while playing, and the flute may bang into your mates on your right
Both will roll off the table if you are not careful, and both will fit under your arm as you head off to the gent's
They are both wonderful instruments, and have their own characteristics which you can only learn my playing them.
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
I think that you should listen to lots of recordings of both instruments and make your decision based on which sound you crave more, not based on other people's opinions. But that's just my opinion...
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Glass of Beer
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
The low whistle can have a wonderful haunting sound...but so can the flute. The low whistle, even a loud model, is relatively quiet.
Nothing wrong with either instrument. I prefer flute because I feel it is more versatile AND I simply prefer the sound.
Tasia's advice is good...what do you like best on recordings? Low whistle or flute?
Eric
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Jayhawk
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Forgot to add that Doug Tipple's flutes are a very good entry level flute if you can't afford a better instrument.
If you go for flute, do you love wood (and are you willing to care for it)? Wooden flutes require oiling and you have to break them in slowly. Doug's PVC, or M&E, Seery, etc. are polymer and require no real care (no more than a metal whistle). There are plenty of good wood and polymer flutes in the $500 range (Seery, M&E, slideless Casey Burns, etc.) - these flutes while more expensive can make you happy for life with no need to upgrade.
Unless you know a good source of in-tune cane whistles, I'd opt for a low whistle made of metal or polymer.
Eric
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Jayhawk
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
A low whistle cannot hold a candle to a flute. Flute leaves it standing.
Personally I prefer standard pitched whislets to low whistles also. Mots times the main advantage I see for low whistle is for a different voice when there are other high whistles present, or for non-flute players to take a break from e.g. the pipes.
Flute leaves low whistle dead in the water all other things being equal.
- Chris
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
The biggest question is this: have you played either of them? If not, you should go for the low whistle as it is easier to sound good on (or even MAKE a sound on) than the flute. If you ARE a flute player, there is no question - get the flute! Much more versatile and has nuances of expression you can't get on a whistle. OTOH, the low whistle is a beautiful instrument in its own right. I have both and hardly ever play the whistle...
Pat
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by plunk111
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
'If not, you should go for the low whistle as it is easier to sound good on.'
Without question - and pace jig or that metronome chap - this is the worst piece of advice I have ever read on this board.
Do get a grip, plunk111!
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
I'd go with the flute, personally. It's harder at first but more rewarding in the long run IMO.
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Whiddler
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Where do you live, aljazh? I mean what country are you from?
# Posted on June 27th 2009 by Sergio Corriero
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
If you're comparing a Low D whistle to a D Irish flute, be aware that the finger-stretch is wider on the whistle.
The flute's conical bore allows the lower-hand fingerholes to be placed closer together.
The finger stretch on Low D's takes some getting used to, and some people don't like it. Some give up trying to learn Low D for that reason.
Beware of Low D's that have the fingerholes moved closer together, because doing this makes the notes more feeble.
The actual tone/timbre of a Low D whistle such as my aluminum "Pro Viper" by Michael Burke is very much like that of an Irish flute.
Since the tone on the flute is made by a human embouchure which can be varied by the player, the flute's tone/timbre and volume can be varied tremendously. A flute is an amazingly flexible instrument. You can play the lowest notes big and booming or play the highest notes as soft as a whisper.
Whistles have a fixed embouchure. Blowing too hard or too soft simply makes the notes out of tune. Each note is in tune at one exact blowing pressure, so if you want to play in tune you are very limited as to what you can do with the airstream.
Whistle's fipple represents the best compromise the maker can create, and in all Low D's I've ever tried the lowest notes are softer that I would like and the highest notes are louder than I would like.
The Low D whistle has only two advantages I can think of:
1) price. You can get a fantastic-playing Low D for under $300.
2) you don't have to learn how to do the flute embouchure.
# Posted on June 28th 2009 by Richard D Cook
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Flute.
Martin Doyle makes excellent ones.
Max
# Posted on June 28th 2009 by cyber-bullying is a criminal offence
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute. I have both and the low whistle only gets the occasional outing. The flute can do so much MORE.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by Bredna
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
I play both. But with the whistle the fingering can cause some people problems, personally, I'm double jointed so never had any problems. As for the flute, I've never had a problem with that either. So I'm not really the person to talk about the problems you may have starting as I don't seem to have experienced any.
But I would suggest that you listen to as many recordings of both instruments as you can possibly and really decide on which sound you would really like to produce and having made that decision, buy the best instrument you can afford.
I would never go for polimer instruments, I personally dont like the sound. I would also try to listen to as many different types of woods as possible as each wood will produce a different sound and some woods will cost more than others.
Similarly, metals will prodouce different sounds and affect the price.
I was very happy with my first low whistle until I heard a beautiful wooden one which I saved up for and eventually I had one made for me so be careful of instrument envy
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by RoisinD
Re: Low tin whistle or low flute ?????
Flute is great but you _will_ take longer to start making acceptable sounds on it than on the low whistle. However, being musical on the low whistle is almost harder than on the flute because your technical possibilites are limited.
Flutes tend to be a bit more expensive than whistles. I recommend the Casey Burns folk flute (I do own one of the two part ones in Mopane and still play it as my camp-fire flute) as being excellent value for the money. There are however a number of other excellent options out there as a search of this forum, or Chiff and Fipple will show.
With flutes, the instrument makes a difference in the sound quality, but 90% of the sound comes from the player, so player X sounds like player X, whatever they are playing so long as it is a good quality instrument in a good state of repair.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by Crackpot